Dragon Alliance Dark Storm : Dark Storm (15 page)

“You’re both right; I’m just concerned,” he answered.

“Mkel, what do I always tell you for your shooting?” Jodem asked him.

“Wherever you are, be all there; it’s all about focus and gaining control by letting go,” Mkel answered with a smile.

“Exactly, Lieutenant Ablich and Company Senior Sergeant Pekram can handle anything for a short time until we get back there. Even if there would be an emergency, Silvanth and Beckann will not let anything happen to Michen and Annan. There is no fury like an expectant dragon and an angry she-elf wizard,” Jodem explained in a soft, joking manner.

“Or like a scorned Freiland wife. I’d rather face a rabid red dragon without my sword than one of those,” Lawrent yelled over to Mkel as he and Toderan walked out from the entrance of the alcove onto the landing.

“I know what you’re saying, and it doesn’t just apply to raiders’ wives,” Mkel answered back to Lawrent with a smile.

“Has the joust started yet? I have a good feeling about Robouch, in spite of his attitude at times,” Toderan mused. “Swierchaej and Gimbelon are also competing today in the sword and spear matches. They will do fine. I have faith in those boys and in Poteignr for the archery competition. I heard he has a good coach,” he said as he looked at Jodem with a smile that was accented by his thick moustache; he knew that the young soldiers received the same marksmanship instruction as Mkel had from the portly wizard. “We’ll see if our outspoken Gimbelon can throw his spear as well as he throws his opinions.”

“He is a tough soldier deep down, and I expect him to do fairly well. I was watching him practice last week during the trade celebration with the Freilanders. Not like him to miss a party or ale. He can toss that stick pretty consistently,” Mkel added.

“He has a driven heart but a troubled mind. I have faith he will perform his best, if not just for bragging rights with the garrison,” Gallanth opined.

“I believe you are right, Gallanth, and I also have a bet on Lieutenant Wheelor and his crew for the land dragon competitions. I saw him review the images of the Handsdown battle and the proficiency of the Battle Point crews, and he has his title to defend. As far as Poteignr, I know he will do fine. He has a good attitude and also works a great deal with Cleric Watterseth. He has an eye to the Creator,” Jodem answered.

“My friends, the joust is about to start,” Gallanth said just before the trumpets sounded announcing the start of the joust. “I would also keep an eye on Terrence. He is a very skilled hand-combat soldier,” he added.

The projected images emerged above the parade field, as the first two knights readied themselves at the ends of the dividing rail. The announcing bard opened with the names and standard for the representatives of Lancastra Weir and the 4
th
Legion. Both had their lances raised with their colored standards fluttering in the light breeze. The drums started to roll as the official raised his short spear with a red flag. As the drum roll heightened, he lowered the flag and the knights began their charge.

Their armored horses galloped up to speed as both steadied their lances and positioned their shields, timing their actions with the horses’ movements while looking for an opening in their opponent’s stance. The Lancastra knight’s silvery shield with its three reed leaf symbol of his weir stood out in sharp green contrast to his armor. The 4
th
Legion knight’s white diamond-shaped shield standard, with four oak leaves, one in each corner, faced the weir paladin’s charge. The cross-leaf pattern of this legion was created in honor of Eladra, who saved it from a chromatic attack during the Great War. Their lances connected with each other’s shields midway between the ends of the rail that divided them. Both paladins were pushed back from the impact as the lances splintered. That round was a draw, and each knight was given a new lance by his apprentice and readied for his second of three tries.

The officiator lowered the red banner, and the two began their charge again. This time, as the paladins met lances, the 4
th
Legion’s knight had a slightly better aim and unsettled the weir knight but did not knock him off the horse. The third and final run resulted in a tie. The judges awarded the win to the legion knight for one better hit, and the crowd applauded. The images projected by the wizards’ dragonstones then shifted to the sword competition. Swierchaej of Draden Weir was first to compete; he was facing a renowned swordsman from the 36th Legion from the desert plains oasis city of Savegsol, between Lancastra and Eladran Weirs in the southern midpoint of the Alliance. The 36
th
was a fierce competitor with Draden for both sword and archery competitions.

Within the circle, Swierchaej and the legion soldier were separated by the officiator. When he signaled, they began to fight. The legionnaire came out strong and fast with an overhead thrust of his heavy wooden core sword overlaid with elven hard sap to make it softer for striking but still firm in its hit. Swierchaej parried the blow and swung around in a quick circle aiming for his larger opponent’s midsection; he barely blocked it in time. The Draden Weir soldier then maneuvered to the left and swung left again, attempting to keep his opponent off balance. The legionnaire glanced off the double swing and tried a short thrust at Swierchaej’s head, which he ducked and went to his knees just as the wooden sword grazed the top of his helmet. He then thrust up, catching his opponent in the upper abdomen with the tip of his sword. The thrust made the 36
th
Legion soldier back up a couple of steps and seemed to knock the wind out of him.

The judge raised a red flag giving Swierchaej a vitals hit. He then immediately lunged toward him with an overhand strike but aimed it high on purpose. The blow was parried, but he twisted left and whirled around to give his larger opponent a moving target and swung his sword in a downward and then upward angle hitting him in the side of the chest. The second flag was then raised, and a trumpet sounded signaling the end of the match. He had delivered a second killing blow, winning that round. The judge walked out and raised Swierchaej’s hand in victory.

“I see our young soldier did listen to you after all and relied on his mind and agility rather than just the strength in his arms, my rider,” Gallanth complimented Mkel.

“Yes, he did very well. I hope he can keep that up for our next battle,” he answered.

“Excellent swordsmanship; if he can maintain that, he’ll win this tournament!” Toderan exclaimed.

“Look, our little black sheep Gimbelon is casting his first spear toss,” Jodem commented as the projected image to the left switched to the spear-throwing competition. The slender young weir soldier stood at the line with his short throwing spear ready. The competitors would throw one at a time in succession at a six-foot-diameter straw circular mat with a painted cloth that had five concentric colored target rings drawn on it. The spear competition started at fifteen yards and then went back five yards after each round to finish at seventy-five yards. Gimbelon’s turn came, and he choked up on the spear, held it up, and steadied to the target. He took three steps and hurled the spear. It embedded itself just on the inside right edge of the center circle, which was just under a foot in diameter.

“An excellent throw!” Mkel exclaimed out loud. “He had good follow-through as well. I see that he does listen.”

“You could have fooled me, but I do know he is good in a pinch, and the younger soldiers do look up to him,” Toderan added. “We will need all our best soldiers if we face the fire giants. Now it’s time for ale.”

“Isn’t it a little early, Weir Sergeant?” Jodem asked.

“It is noon back in Draden.” He smiled as he signaled to one of the servers to get him a tankard.

“And it’s last night in Freiland, I’ll have one too,” Lawrent added with a smile. The two big men could drink large quantities of ale without getting overly inebriated, even though that was the normal end state. The rest of the morning went quickly; they alternated between watching the three events and the Keystone Weir competitors’ progress. Mkel walked back into the weir before the noon meal to run around the immense interior lake. Jodem told him not to shoot or dry fire that day, but just to keep limber. After he ran, exercised, and bathed, he then walked back up to the landing were Gallanth and his weirmates were still watching the games. He decided to partake and grabbed an ale but would limit himself prior to the dragonstone archery event. The kitchen staff and halflings were bringing out the noon meal on several platters carried on carts.

The last of the semifinal rounds of the joust was about to begin. Robouch had made it this far but drew the lot to go against the top Eladran Weir knight. He was very talented, and only Toderan, Lenor, and a couple of knights from the cavalry legion had ever bested him.

“This will be interesting,” Toderan said out loud as he took a drink from his tankard. Robouch and the Eladran paladin were lining up at the opposite ends of the dividing rail. The bright-green oak leaf with two crossed arrows on the paladin’s shield, the symbol of the Eladran Weir, shone brightly in the midday sun and was a unique contrast to the red keystone with the gold dragon head embossed on Robouch’s shield.

As the officiator lowered his draped staff, the two knights began their charge. The crowd, including all in the dragon alcoves, quieted to watch the images projected above the grounds. As their lances struck home, both splintered. Robouch had hit his opponent on the upper left of his shield, but the Eladran knight’s strike was more solid, knocking Robouch’s shield from his hand. The round went to the Eladran.

“Close run. That Eladran paladin has a very good arm and a good aim with that lance,” Jodem commented. The next round ended in a tie with both blocking the other’s lances off of their shields. The final round started as they both spurred their horses forward, after the officiator announced that the winner would be facing the cavalry legion’s knight in the final round with the other to joust against the Battle Point legion paladin. They both then charged with a fierce sense of determination. As their lances struck home, the Eladran paladin had just the right angle to deflect off of Robouch’s shield and struck him in the side of his helmet almost knocking him off his horse. Robouch did not fall but was stunned. The officiator gave the flag to Eladran, which put Robouch in the qualifying round to compete for third place.

Mkel could see through Gallanth’s eyes that Robouch was angry, but as a true honorable paladin, he galloped his horse over to shake the Eladran knight’s hand. In the first round of the semifinal match, Robouch knocked the Battle Point knight off his horse.

“I can see Robouch was a little upset,” Toderan commented. “Getting the copper triangle of third place is still a good showing for his first time in the joust competition though.” The final match was very close, but the Eladran knight won the last round to win the overall competition.

Gimbelon threw his last spear at the seventy-five-yard target. It sailed through the air and hit the target just slightly low and right for three points. At the longer distances, he was at slight disadvantage against the larger, more heavily muscled competitors, but his technique allowed him to maximize the power and distance he could muster. “A three, that should give him second place, impressive for the lad!” Jodem exclaimed.

“Yes, that’ll give him a little more confidence now, and we can give him the responsibility to teach the other soldiers some of his skills,” said Mkel. Swierchaej had made it to the final round and was fighting a soldier from 3
rd
Legion. His opponent wore his legion’s standard, the white square with three red stripes symbolizing the legion’s motto of “the blood rock” on his chest in an intimidating fashion. The match went back and forth until the final round when Swierchaej, using his opponent’s larger size to his advantage, moved quickly in close with a faint thrust and then darted back just dodging his swing. He then jumped up, spun around with a downward thrust, and struck the 3
rd
Legion soldier’s shoulder. This gave him the final point he needed, and he was declared the winner.

“Yeahhhhh, that son of a serpent did it!” Toderan shouted in a rare outburst of emotion.

“Your swordsman fought well, Dragonrider… although his fighting techniques look very familiar,” Ordin commented referring to Swierchaej’s swordsmanship style, which very much resembled the way Mkel fought with Kershan.

“He fought like a raider; maybe we should initiate him when we get back to the weir,” Lawrent interjected.

“To what? Teach him to be an undisciplined brawler?” Toderan countered to tease him, the ale apparently starting to take effect.

“Well, Weir Sergeant, at least my men are trained to fight on their own, and as berserkers, they are each worth at least five Alliance soldiers in a tough scrap,” he shot back to the senior paladin with his normal wide, toothy grin under his reddish-blond mustache.

“Anytime you want to cross swords, my good pirate,” Toderan forced a subtle challenge.

“How about we cross tankards first,” Lawrent answered as he raised his oversized mug. Toderan, with a half smile accented by the slight curvature of his brown mustache, raised his as well and crashed it into the raider’s, and then they both drained the contents and slammed them on the table, simultaneously calling for another pitcher.

Mkel thought to himself, what an interesting match that would be.

The awards ceremony would soon begin, and the grounds crews started to set up the tiered stage.

Once the champion’s platform was erected, the tournament winners were gathered as the musicians played a congratulatory trumpet and drum salute. The cheers and applause for the champions from the crowds was evidence that they had enjoyed the competitions. Canjon and Amerenth walked over to the platform along with Colonel Therosvet and General Becknor. Several other dignitaries were also present. The first-, second-, and third-place winners of each of the three events were escorted to the base of the platform by the Draco Guards and stood facing the crowds in the seats.